Hsiung Feng IIE
Hsiung Feng IIE | |
---|---|
Type | inertial guidance with automatic target recognition for terminal guidance |
Accuracy | 10 to 15 m |
The Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E; Chinese: 雄風二E巡弋飛彈; lit. 'Brave Wind IIE Cruise Missile') is a surface-to-surface land-attack cruise missile system developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) in Taiwan.
Development
According to the Taiwan Defense Review (TDR), the HF-2E land attack cruise missile is not a derivative of the Hsiung Feng 2
The project was first announced in 2001. Following several test firings in 2004 and early 2005 at the Jiu Peng Missile Range in southeastern Taiwan, the baseline HF-2E (Block I) completed its operational evaluation (OPEVAL) in 2005, the missile flying a low-altitude circuit off Taiwan's southeastern coastline between Pingtung and Lanyu Island. An improved HF-2E missile was reportedly tested by CSIST at Jui Peng Missile Range on 2 February 2007.[3] In 2017 the missiles received an extensive upgrade to increase their effectiveness against naval targets.[5]
Description
The baseline HF-2E Block I land attack cruise missile (LACM) is said to be powered by an indigenously-developed Taiwanese turbofan engine believed to be rated in the 800 lbf (3.6 kN) thrust range and developed by CSIST partially based on technology and experience from the Microturbo 078 turbojet engine used on Hsiung Feng 2 (
The HF-2E Block I missile uses
The primary difference between the two main variants is the engine. The longer ranged variant has a turbofan engine. The shorter range variant was first tested in 2004 with the longer ranged variant following in 2007 however both were put into mass production.[6]
Production and fielding
The low-rate production of the Block I missile was to have started in July 2005 and using funds originally allocated for its R&D, at least five missiles were built. The unit cost per missile was estimated to be at US$3.08 million (2003 US$ dollar value).[3] Another report made in 2006 claimed that three batteries comprising twenty-four mobile launchers and forty-eight missiles were in the final stages of testing and may be fielded within two years.[7] The HF-2E began low volume production in the Project ChiChun (戟隼, jǐ zhǔn, lance hawk). A Taipei Times news report claimed that President Ma Ying Jeou ordered the production of 500 to 1000 HF-2E missiles in 2008.[8] It was approved and cleared to enter full volume/serial production in 2011.[9] It supposedly can deliver a 440 lb (200 kg) unitary warhead to a range of 600 km (370 mi).[10] The Associated Press has reported a range of 1,500 km.[5]
The HF-2E missile is primarily deployed operationally in ground-mobile launchers. The launcher vehicle carries the missiles in protective aluminum box launchers, with wings and control fins retracted, conceptually similar to the trailer-mounted mobile launchers for Tien Kung
In 2022 annual combined production of the HF-2E and Hsiung Sheng was 81 units, the two missiles share a production line.[12]
Hsiung Sheng
The improved variant has been designated the Hsiung Sheng (traditional Chinese: 雄昇; simplified Chinese: 雄升; pinyin: Xióng Shēng). It is designed to be able to strike critical targets in distant Chinese cities like Wuhan and Qingdao.[12]
In January 2021 the ROCAF took delivery of the first batch of improved HF-2E missiles. The range is reported to be in excess of 1,200 km however the number of missiles deployed is confidential.[13][14] The Hsiung Sheng carries either a unitary or fragmentation warhead.[12] The unitary high explosive warhead is designed to target bunkers and command centers while the fragmentation warhead is designed to target airfields.[15]
General characteristics
- Primary Function: Land-attack cruise missile
- Power Plant: turbofan engine[3] with solid rocket booster for sustained cruise flight
- Range: Alternately reported to be 600 km,[16] 1,500 km,[5] and 2,000 km.[3]
- Top Speed: Mach 0.75 – Mach 0.85 (571–647 mph; 919–1,041 km/h)
- Guidance: terrain contour matching and forward-looking imaging infrared (IIR) seeker with automatic target recognition for terminal guidance[3]
- Launch Weight: 3,000–3,500 lb (1,400–1,600 kg) including solid rocket booster[2]
- Accuracy: Within 10 m
- Warhead: 200 kg (440 lb)
- Date deployed: Unknown
See also
References
- ^ "TAIWAN". Nuclear Threat Initiative. Nuclear Threat. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ a b Fu S. Mei. "Towards a Counter-Deterrent Capability Part I", Taiwan Defense Review, 21 June 2001.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fu S. Mei. "HF-2E Cruises Along", Taiwan Defense Review, 27 March 2007.
- ^ a b Minnick, Wendell. "Taiwan Proceeds on LACM", Defense News, 15 September 2008.
- ^ a b c Ralph, Jennings. "Taiwan steps up production of missiles to create asymmetric advantage over China military build-up". nationalpost.com. The Associated Press. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ Tien-pin, Lo; Hetherington, William. "New missiles can travel 2,000km: source". taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, March 2006.
- ^ Hazeldine, Richard. "US Trying to block Taiwan missiles: 'Defense News'", Taipei Times, 29 October 2008.
- ^ "國內要聞 | 聯合新聞網". Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
- ^ Taiwan to upgrade indigenous missile capabilities - Defensenews.com, 6 February 2017
- ^ Chan, Minnie. "Taiwan reveals deterrent to China as satellite images show missile capable of targeting mainland". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ^ a b c Everington, Keoni. "Taiwan's new Hsiung Sheng missile can reach Wuhan, Qingdao". taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ Yu, Matt; Lin, Ko. "Air Force command receives upgraded Hsiung Feng-2E missile system". focustaiwan.tw. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ Chen, Kelvin. "Taiwan military has begun deploying extended-range cruise missiles". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ Lee, Yimou; Blanchard, Ben. "Taiwan details new advanced missile and drone attack capabilities". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Ministry mum on HF-2Es on Penghu - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
External links